Don't be surprised if the accusation that Zyklon have repeated themselves is hurled their way from more than one corner this time round. As much as _Aeon_ presented a solid progressive leap forward from their debut, _Disintegrate_ clings faithfully to the precedent set by the band in 2003. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. It wouldn't be the first time that a death metal band has successfully cannibalised their schtick and come out smiling at the other end after all, and on its own merits there's plenty to get excited about here. This is especially true if you're a fan of slickly-produced, fast, modern death metal -- a style that former Emperor guitarist Zamoth elevates to a fine art here.

"Vile Ritual" and the shredding opening track, "In Hindsight", are but two of the many examples illustrating just how effective the band's razor-sharp attack can be; blending chunky riffage that contain only the faintest trace of its creator's black metal lineage, with a blasting rhythm section and Sechtdamon's increasingly impressive vocals. Indeed, the Myrkskog drummer's voice becomes more of a focal point on _Disintegrate_ than ever before, and the range that he displays is several cuts above the typical deep grunt / high-pitched shriek interplay that you're almost expecting to hear on a record like this. In the same way as _Aeon_ did on "An Eclectic Manner" however, the band are at their most effective when they're experimenting; and when they do break away from the norm on "Wrenched World", the album goes from decent to great.

No matter how commendable and enjoyable the effort is though, the trouble is that with the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Krisiun and Decapitated already having released some of 2006's most crushing efforts, _Disintegrate_ seems slightly faceless by comparison. It's only by the faintest margin mind you, but nevertheless it's quite obvious that Zyklon are going to have to raise their game creatively when the time comes to record album number four.